More than a month of preseason practice has Haskell Indian Nations University’s football team champing at the proverbial bit.

“We’re definitely anxious,” first-year coach Eric Brock said.

Anxious mainly to snap an 18-game losing streak that stretches over the last two seasons. The Fightin’ Indians will open Saturday at McPherson College. Kickoff will be 6 p.m.

Brock, who spent last season as defensive coordinator at Fort Lewis (Colo.) State, has a young team 15 of the 22 starters are underclassmen, including seven freshmen but he’s optimistic.

During their two-year skid, the Indians have been plagued by a tepid offense placing too much pressure on the defense. Brock hopes transfer Chris Muniz and returnee Peter Hahn will help correct that offensive deficiency.

Last season Hahn was basically a running back playing quarterback, and his passing stats showed it. But with the arrival of Muniz, who hasn’t played the last two years because of knee injuries, to play quarterback, Brock has been able to shift Hahn to tailback.

Muniz hasn’t played since starting a couple of games at Langston U. in 1999, but the 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior has shown no ill effects of prior knee damage.

“He doesn’t wear braces,” Brock said. “In fact, you wouldn’t know he had knee injuries unless you saw the scars. He’s very fast. He’s always up front in our sprints. No, his knees haven’t been a problem.”

Still, Muniz isn’t a finished product, not after missing the last two seasons.

“He delivers a really good ball. He has a good touch,” Brock said. “But he’s a little rusty when it comes to mechanics.”

Meanwhile, the 6-2, 235-pound Hahn may give the Indians a running threat for the first time in years.

“He’s really pumped up,” Brock said of Hahn. “He looks real good there. He’s a strong runner and he usually makes the first guy miss.”

Brock also believes he has enough talented receivers to add balance to the offense. Josh Baldridge, a 6-1, 190-pound junior, is a solid possession-type pass-catcher, while freshmen Cody Wilson and Yona Givens may prove to be deep threats.

Brock has been impressed, he said, with Wilson, a 6-2, 185-pounder from Forney, Texas.

Senior center Steve White anchors the offensive line, but the other starters are freshmen and sophomores.

On defense, the Indians are uncommonly experienced in the secondary with senior Nick Lewis and junior Brett Blythe manning the corners and senior Ivan Billie at strong safety.

Billie, a 6-2, 225-pounder, is a transfer from Mississippi State, where he started several games.

“He can do a lot of things,” Brock said of Billie. “He can cover, he can tackle, he can blitz. He’s the best athlete on our team, and he may play some wideout for us.”

Haskell has a solid, experienced linebacking corps of juniors Daniel Brown and Ben Baker, plus sophomore Matt Kalfsbeck, back this season after sitting out 2001 with a hand injury. However, the 6-3, 240-pound Brown isn’t expected to play in the opener after being called home to Oklahoma for a family emergency.

If Brown doesn’t play, he’ll be replaced by A.J. Leading Fox, a 5-10, 195-pound freshman.

Up front, the Indians are thin and inexperienced with two freshmen (James DeCoteau and Vince Baccus) and a sophomore (Kyle Isaac) starting.

“Would I like to have seniors there? Yes,” Brock said, “but that’s what we’ve got. Our system is pretty simple in the defensive line, but we’ve got to grow up fast.”